We are rural and urban and we are always about the message of Jesus.

Every day at thousands of community centers, high schools, middle schools, juvenile institutions, coffee shops, and local hangouts, YFC staff and volunteers meet with young people who need Jesus. Our focus as a movement is on multiplying fruitful and sustainable ministry sites across the nation and around the world.

Who We Are

YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.

“The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”—Mark 10:45

At Youth For Christ, we wholeheartedly embrace the “and” of Mark 10:45. Jesus came to serve and to deliver the message of transformation. He came to embrace and to liberate. We look to Him as we carry out that “and” — the call to act, with an eternal perspective.

Our Passion

At Youth For Christ, our passion is to minister in the name of Jesus. We choose to walk the very same bridge He used; the “and” bridge combining Christian service with Christ’s sacrifice.

We are liberated by His forgiveness and propelled by His love, to continually declare mercy and truth. We are ministers of His grace, on campuses and in juvenile halls… in wide open spaces and on congested street corners… to the outcasts, the transparent, the terrified.

Our focus as a movement is on multiplying fruitful and sustainable Ministry Sites across the nation and around the world. We believe there are five essentials to establishing Ministry Sites.

Since 1944, Youth For Christ has had a distinctive history of youth evangelism.

The Youth For Christ Rally

In the early 1940s, during World War II, many young men, mostly ministers and evangelists, were holding large rallies in Canada, England and the United States. YFC quickly organized into a national movement. Billy Graham became YFC's first full-time staff member.

YFC grew in momentum as revivals popped up around the nation, leading tens of thousands to commit their lives to Christ. The emphasis on evangelism continued as Billy Graham launched the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, and YFC’s World Congress on Evangelism reached its fourth consecutive year.

Efforts shifted to campus evangelism, with the first Campus Life staff meeting sparking semi-annual gatherings to develop Campus Life strategy and materials. The coordination of Youth for Christ International was entrusted to a truly international body for the first time in YFC history.

Several monumental developments were made, including the publishing of the The Way Bible, and the introduction of both the Y-1 Intern Program, and Campus Life/J.V., a national ministry aimed at ministering to Middle School youth. June Thompson, on staff with YFC from the start, moved into the president’s office full-time.

YFC gave the rights to Campus Life Magazine to Christianity Today, and published the Life Application Bible, a Bible Commentary for teenagers, which has sold over 40 million copies in 44 languages around the world to date.

A fifth world emphasis area was created to include 22 Middle Eastern and North African countries, and World Outreach Liaison Directors were added for each of the five areas. Strategic definitions for YFC’s core values were developed to focus on poor and displaced young people, and youth of different cultures.

A Ten Year Global Ministry Plan was developed and approved, with emphasis on the need to train and develop young leaders for the future of the ministry. Current President, Dan Wolgemuth, was elected by the YFC/USA board to take over, as YFC celebrated its 60th anniversary.

The goal of putting 20,000 leaders in authentic, Christ-sharing relationships with 100,000 lost kids by 2015 was surpassed in October 2013. Through the efforts of dedicated staff, individuals, and partners, the ministry of YFC continues to reach youth in cities around the world.

Throughout YFC's history there has been an unwavering commitment to youth evangelism and biblical Christianity.

One of YFC's slogans over the past fifty years has been "Anchored to the Rock, Geared to the Times.” YFC strives to both demonstrate and communicate this message of hope, grace and love in a variety of different cultural settings, and always pursuing teens in personal relationships. Your prayers and financial support continue to help change the lives of young people… one at a time. We refer to this pursuit as a 3Story® lifestyle, and offer resources and training opportunities to take a “deeper dive” in this way of life.

3Story® Way of Life

The "DNA" of Youth For Christ. A way of life that guides followers of christ to be good news while telling stories of the good news.

It is a way of seeing how the relationships we have with other people and God can be connected and grown. 3Story® is not an evangelism tool or method, it is who we want to be and how we want to live. In YFC, 3Story® is our living operating system. Our hope is that it becomes our DNA.

“We are stewards of His message and ministers of His grace…”

“Youth For Christ has been a faithful and bold ally of the Church. Our world needs Youth For Christ to be propelled into the future with the same devotion it has shown in the past.”

R.C. Sproul, President
Ligonier Ministries

“There is no doubt that Youth For Christ has been the most significant movement of its time. It has been an instrument in the hands of God to reach multiplied hundreds of thousands of young people for Christ. It has also been the source of implanting in those young people a great vision to keep the light shining and to reach others for Christ. Thousands upon thousands have enrolled in the service of Christ because of the initial challenge that they received in the outreach of Youth For Christ.”

David Breese, President
Christian Destiny, Inc.

“Youth For Christ came into being as a result of a conversation that Torrey Johnson and I had while fishing off the coast of Florida in late 1944. He had the vision and the plans in his mind of what could be done, and he asked if I could join with him and become the first associate and evangelist. It was my privilege to be the first full-time employee of Youth For Christ. The goal in those days was to reach not only young people, but also our servicemen who were on leave from wars. It grew rapidly, and thousands of young people came to Christ. After 60+ years, Youth For Christ continues to communicate the life changing message of Jesus Christ to our youth before it’s too late. We have been fortunate through the years to touch millions of lives and today, more than ever, we need to continue our quest to reach the lost youth around the world.

The harvest fields are riper, the grain is thicker, and the instruments that technology has provided are sharper. I see no reason why we could not touch the entire youth population of the world with the good news of the Gospel… let’s make that our goal!”